Rafael Nadal, the Spanish fourteen-time grand slam champion has confirmed on Monday suing the former French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot. The minister has allegedly commented that the tennis star has absented himself from the 2012 Tour in a bid to hide the use of performance enhancing drugs. Her comments appear following female tennis star Maria Sharapova's public admission for failing a drug test during 2016 Australian Open.
The Spaniard has returned to his best form during the last fortnight following a long slump. He has last won tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and is going to press for his 10th title in the French Open next month, reports The Guardian.
The 29 year old mass-acclaimed tennis star has filed a defamation lawsuit against the former French cabinet minister in the Paris law courts. Bachelot has served the French cabinet as health and sports minister during the period of 2007-2010 and hold the portfolio of social affairs minister until 2012, according to a report published in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Bachelot has commented last March on le Grand 8 programme on French channel D8 that Nadal remained out of the court for seven months from the middle of 2012. Though injury reasons have been cited for remaining out of the court during that period, but actually this has been due to a positive test. She has also commented that tennis players remain out of court for long time generally due to positive result in dope test, reports The Independent. Nadal is familiar for his anti drug stance and always denies taking any contraband drugs. Through filing the lawsuit, he intends to defend his integrity and image as an athlete as well as value that he cherishes throughout his career. He also desires refrain any public figure from making insulting or false allegations against any athlete without concrete evidence and go unpunished. The Spaniard tennis star also expects that the tribunal will consider whether any wrongdoing has taken place and the sentence to recognize the right for damages. He has also pledged that any compensation realized under this lawsuit will be donated in full to an NGO or foundation in France. The popular tennis player expresses his total respect over the legal procedure of the lawsuit. He has also resembled his complete trust in the French judicial system and committed not to make any further statement in this regard.
